Improvement in electric railway-signals



3 Sheets-Sheet 2. E. E. BEAN.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY-SIGNAL. No. 169,509. Patented N 1875.

NJEIERS, PlloTo-LvTHoGRAPI-aiw. WASHINGTON n c 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

E. E. BEAN.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY-SIGNAL. N0.159,59. PatentedNov. Z, 1875.

, fig} 5 Wilkesses aw 5440M N.PETERS. PHOTO-UTHO GRAPHER. WASHINGTON. |7. C.

U ITED STATES PATENT Orrron ED'WIN-E. BEAN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT I N ELECTRIC RAILWAY-SIGNALS.

1 Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 169,509, dated November 2, 1875; application filed January 26, 1874.

. Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Railroad-Signals; and I do hereby declare the'following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements on that class of electric railroad-signals in which a battery is carried on the train; and my invention consists, in combination with such battery, of stationary poles with electro-magnets stationed all along the road, which electro-magnets are provided with positive mechanically-operated levers, by which and a pair of projections on the moving train, of which the one constitutes an electric pole and the other a mere projection for the resetting of the signal, the signal is so operated as to give warning to one train of its close proximity to another, either in front or behind, as the case may be.

I do not claim as my invention any arrangement by which the signals on the posts'are reset by means of electricity, as it is very difficult to do this in such a manner on account of the great and strong electric current required for this purpose, and the difficulty of practically .sending such a strong current to perform such a great work from a quicklypassing train.

My invention also relates to an improved signal for switches, consisting in the employment, in-combination with an electric battery carried on the train and its projecting pole, of an adjustable arm or lever operated by means of compressed air or vacuum in suitable receptacles, one of which is in connection with the switch-lever or other movable part of the switch, and the other in connection with the movable arm or lever on a suitable post placed at a desirabledistance on one or both sides. of a switch, said receptacles for the air being connected by means of a pipe. The said receptacles for the air may be made as pistons and cylinders, or chambers with flexible diaphragms, or in any other manner in which atmospheric pressure is conveyed from one place to another.

When a train passes such a post, with its arm or lever in advance of the switch, a communication is given by means of the battery on the train to the man in charge thereof as to the condition of the switch, when the engineer will have ample time to stop his train if the switch is wrong, as I intend that the post, with its tell-tale, should be at least one-half of a mile or more distance from the switch.

If desirable, I may so arrange the brakes, whistles, or reversing-levers, or other important parts on a locomotive or train, that such parts shall be automatically acted upon by the projecting arm or lever on the post in advance of the switch, so that the train may be stopped or slacked in its speed independent of the negligence of the engineer on the train.

.In the drawings I have shown the alarm to be given the engineer in case everything is all right and without obstructions; but it will easily be perceived that the alarm can easily be reversed, so as to inform the man in charge of the train if anything is wrong.

, In connection with the battery carried on the train a dial may be used, so as to show how the engineer has run his train relative to other trains on the same track.

On the drawing, Figure 1 represents a ground plan of my invention, and Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 represents an end view of the locomotive, with the electric battery and alarm carried on it. Fig. 4 represents an end view of one of the posts, with the electro-magnet and lever placed thereon and Fig. 5 represents a side elevation of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 represents a partial section and end elevation of a switch and its atmospheric tell-tale and regulator.

Similar letters refer to similar partswher ever they occur on the different parts of thef drawings.

- a represents an ordinary railroad-track, and b a locomotive or other moving part of a train. On the locomotive or other part of a train I place, in a receptacle, 0, a suitable electric i battery, Wet or'dry, as may bedesired. One

of its poles, d, is connected to some suitable metallic part of the train, such as, for instance,

. the boiler, shafts, or other part communicating withthe wheels, and fromthem to the rails a, from which connection may be had to the ground by means of one or more conductors, e, secured to one or both rails, and 'projecti-ng deep enough into the: gronnchso as to be sure of making a perfect ground-connection from the battery at all times. The other pole f from the, battery-is connected to-a suitable electro-magnet, g, from which the current is conveyed by means of the conductor h to a pole, .t', projecting on one or both sides of thelocomotive or other part of I the train, according to the demand, in case a single or double track is operated upon. The drawings show the invention as intended for a double track.

' analarm, as; I may to equal advantage use a gong,jwh'istle, index, dial, or any suitable signal that-will attract'the senses of the man in charge. A} secondary projection, o, is also placed on, the locomotive or other'partof the train, alittlehi'gher than the pole i, as shown in the drawings, the objector which will hereafter. he explained. At suitable distances'on the sideof the track I' place posts p p, sup.- porting. electro-magnets q q and anchors or armatures'r r, as fully' shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Said posts 10 p may be so secured to a prolonged sleeper or peculiar shoeor saddle that the exact d'is'tan'cefrom each post to the nearest railshall always remain permanent. Each postp 1) also supports a movable lever, s t, that is made to swing partially around a fulcrum, u. The lever s t is partially operated by means of a coiled spring, or its equivalent, and'partially operated by the projection 0 on the locomotive. A' wire, 12, is led from one of each ie'vers'to the electro-magnet on the following post, and is provided with a ground connection, to, for the purpose of establishing a complete circu'it'of the current when the polejt' comes in contact with the lever s.

The operation of my invention is, therefore, as follows; When a train passes a certain post, p, the projecting pole i on the train touches thelever s, and moves it slightly on its pivot to, and sends a-current of electricity from the battery'on the train to the electromagnet on the next post, in advance or behind the train,"or' both, as may be required in differentcircumstances, thereby attracting the armature or anchorr to the electro-magnet onsaid post in advance or behind the train,

I whenthespringw, Fig. 5, acting on the lever it, moves the lever 8 ton said post to such a position that the pole i of a succeeding train will" come iii-contact with the lower part of the sai'dflet'er s, and thus establish a current from batterycarried on the train,

"Whenever the poled strikes a lever, s, on a p w, charge, either by thebell m or'suitable signal that will attract his attention, that everything is all right ahead or behind him, as the case may be or the signal may be so arranged as toattract his attentiouwhen-the track is obstructed. After the projecting pole t has passed b tact with Ithe"secondaryprojection 0 on the train, whereby said lever is placed in a posifall into position for contact with the pole of a succeeding train as soon as the preceding train has passed safely the next post and sent a currentback to the post in the rear, thereby attracting the anchor to its electro-imagnet, and resetting-the lever s t to its proper position, indicating safety to a succeeding train.

between the lever s and the projecting pole t', I; may make the latter extended a suitable distance in a horizontal direction. In every pole-i must be insulated from the locomotive or train. It a train passes apost on which the position of the lever s t is as shown in 5, the pole t" on the train will nottouch said lever s, and, consequently, no connection with the battery on the train will be obtained, and the engineer in charge will then know that the track is obstructed ahead. I

From the above it willbe seen that the'person in charge of a railroad-train is always inpreceding or succeeding train, and can thus prevent a great many accidents that might otherwise occur, even with the best of care.

The eleetricand pneumatic switch-signal is arranged and operated as follows: 1 is a switch-lever, by which the switch is operated that operates a flexible diaphragm, 3', in the casegt, as shown in Fig. 6. From the case 4 leads a connecting-pipe, 5, to another case or chamber, 6, containing a secondary diaphragm, to which is attached a movable rod, 7, provided with a metallic pole or lever, 8, and a ground-connection, 9, as shown-in Fig. 6.

The operation of this my improved switchconnection with draw-bridges, gates, crossings, &c., is as follows: 'We will presume that the positions of the different parts, as-repcrossing, or gate of a railroad unobstructed for the free passage of a train. As the train passes the pole or lever 8 the electric poled, on thelocomotive or other part of the train,v comes in contact with the projections, whereby an electric alarm, as heretobefore has been in charge of the train as to the condition of the switch, draw, gate, or crossing that is located at a suitable distance from the projecif he should be informed by the alarm that a signal is given to the engineer iny the lever s the latter comes in contion, as shown in Fig. 5, so as to be ready to For the purpose of making a sure contact case, however, it is needless to say that the formed, automatically, of the position of a by hand. To the lever 1 I attach a rod,,2,.

signal, that is to equal advantage useful in" resented in Fig. 6, show the switch, draw,

described, is given automaticallyto the man tion 8, to allow the engineer to stop histrain;

the road is obstructed. If the switch is left accidentally or on purpose open, the atmospheric air in the chamber 4 is attenuated by the action of the rod 2 and diaphragm 3, or their equivalents, which, being communicated by means of the connecting-pipe 5 to the chamber 6, containing a similar diaphragm connected to the rod 7, operates the said rod 7, with its projecting pole 8, in such a manner that the pole t 011 a locomotive or train will not come in contact with the said projection 8, and, by the absence of any electric alarm, inform the person in charge of the train that the road is obstructed.

I may, if so desired, reverse the apparatus,

so as to give an electric or other alarm if the road is obstructed, and to give no alarm if the road is clear, as may be required under different circumstances, so as to, as far as possible, 7

conform to existing rules and regulations on difi'erent railroads to which employs have been accustomed.

If so required, I may arrange the brakes, reversing-levers, or whistles on a locomotive in such a manner as to be automatically operated by the projection 8, independent of the engineer, in case the road should be obstructed, in addition to giving an alarm, as above stated.

Having thus fully described the nature, construction, and operation of my invention, 1 wish to secure by Letters Patent, and claim- 1. In combination, with a battery, its projecting pole i, and the operating-levers s t, as

described, an additional projection, 0, on the engine or other moving part of a train, for the purpose set forth and described.

2. The stationary posts 10 p, with their electro-magnets q q, armature r r, rocking levers s t s t, springs as w, or their equivalents, and wires U w, in combination with a movable battery, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with a switch or other movable part of a railway, of connections 2 7, receptacles 4L 6, with theirflexiblediaphragms, support 10, and connecting-pipe 5, or their equivalents, as and for the purpose set forth and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 1st day of January, 1874.

EDWIN E. BEAN.

Witnesses:

ALBAN ANDREN, GEORGE E. PHELPS. 

